


To Alcohol, the Rose Coloured Glasses of Life

by Simply_Fabulous



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types
Genre: M/M, Should I add more to this?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-04
Updated: 2015-06-24
Packaged: 2018-03-16 06:34:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3478037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Simply_Fabulous/pseuds/Simply_Fabulous
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's a lot easier to express yourself when you're drunk</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

These functions were always a bore. Roy Mustang straightened his tie and then looked at his watch. He’d only been here for fifteen minutes and he was already bored stiff. He was stuck at another evening party for high-ranking members of the military. In other words, mostly rich men who had bought their way into comfy office jobs and their equally as rich trophy wives.  
You’ll make some useful contacts. He told himself. It may not be the most fun place in the world, but it’ll help you a lot in the long run if you just stay here. He knew that he had to stay, but he’d been to too many of these things before, and he could not stand a single more conversation about boring business things. He wanted someone who he could talk to about his ideas. He wanted someone who would listen while he explained how he wanted to make Amestris a better country. Unfortunately, that was not likely to happen.  
Maybe he could find something else to do to pass the time. His eyes flickered to the many women at the party. Most of them were attractive and well-dressed. Most of them were also married, but maybe he could find the odd single lady who’d be willing to have a little fun.  
And then he arrived.  
Roy caught a flash of gold hair from the corner of his eye and looked towards the entrance of the hall. There stood none other than Edward Elric, looking absolutely stunning in a three-piece suit. Had he ever seen Ed dressed like this before? No. He can’t have. He would have remembered. Ed wore his hair tied up in a ponytail, which let his long golden locks fall over his shoulders and down his back. His light hair and pale skin contrasted sharply with the dark blackness of the suit, and the cut emphasized Ed’s more muscular build, making it clear that he was no longer a child.  
Roy was astonished. Ed looked absolutely beautiful. He’d always been particularly fond of the alchemist, but spent most of his time thinking that Ed was too young for him. Tonight proved otherwise. Ed looked just as mature and sophisticated as the rest of them. He noticed that his heart was beating a little faster than usual. Did that have something to do with the fact that Ed was walking over to him? No, it couldn’t do, could it?  
Regardless, Roy’s heart was beating faster as Ed walked over to him, a glass of champagne in his hand. Since when was he old enough to drink? Roy was getting more than a little flustered by now. It wasn’t fair. Why did Ed have to be so god damn attractive?  
“-Something wrong?” Roy realized that Ed was speaking to him now.  
“What? No.” He said quickly.  
“You sure? You look a little flushed. Don’t tell me you’re drunk already.”  
“Of course not, Fullmetal.” Roy was still trying to calm himself down. It didn’t do much good. He wanted to be closer to him, he needed to be closer to him. The sight of Ed looking like a mature and attractive adult in his suit was enough to tell Roy that he was ready to make his move. The looks which other people were staring to give the blond also helped reinforce the idea.  
“This party’s not to exciting is it?” Ed asked.  
“No.” Roy replied. “I think that if I hear one more person talking to me about budgets, I’m going to scream.”  
“How about a drink then?” Ed asked. “You said that you aren’t drunk, but maybe this would be a little easier if we were.” Normally Roy wouldn’t do such a thing. Getting drunk at a party where he was surrounded by his superiors was probably not the best of ideas. But then again, when Ed suggested it, it didn’t sound like a stupid immature thing to do. It was fun and exciting the way he said it. Or maybe Ed was just fun and exciting in general. Either way, Roy was going to have as many drinks as he wanted and not give a damn who saw him.  
They got to the bar set up in a corner of the hall and Ed ordered two glasses of whiskey, handing one over to Roy and taking a sip from the other.  
“I didn’t know you drank whiskey.” Roy said, surprised.  
“I don’t. Not really.” Edward admitted, smiling down into his glass. “I just figured that I might as well try it.”  
“You haven’t drank before?”  
“Not very much. The idea of drinking underage never really appealed to me, so I haven’t started drinking until a few months ago, really.” He’s not underage any more. Roy realized. Ed really wasn’t a kid any more. He was a consenting adult who was perfectly capable of making his own choices.  
So they drank, as they drank more, they became more open with each other, they joked and laughed really did enjoy themselves. After a few drinks, Roy noticed that Ed was a big of a lightweight. It wasn’t long before Ed was more than a little drunk. Maybe I should take him home. If he stays here any longer, he’ll probably do something he’ll regret.  
“Ed, maybe you should stop.” He said.  
“Come on Roy, do you have to spoil the fun?” Ed asked with a drunken smile.  
“Look. I’m going call you a cab. You’re drunk.” Roy said firmly. He grabbed Ed’s elbow and took him to the door.  
“Hey, you should be gentler!” Ed said. “I mean, if you wanted to be rough with me you could, but that would have to be in a different way.” He winked at the end of his sentence and Roy almost had a heart attack. Ed was hitting on him. Edward Elric was hitting on him. He’d be lying if he’s said that he hadn’t been hoping for this day for a while. However, it was still something, wasn’t it?  
He helped Ed into the cab he’d called and then as an afterthought climbed into it himself. When the driver asked where to go, he thought for a moment before replying with his own address. Ed simply smirked at this and reached his hand across the seat towards Roy’s groin. He slapped it away embarrassedly.  
“Not here.” He whispered.  
“So when we’re at your place?” Ed replied, causing Roy to blush again.

Once they were at Roy’s apartment, Roy removed his tie and his suit jacket. Edward did the same, except he began unbuttoning his shirt too. His skin was pale and looked soft. Ed walked over to him and smiled.  
“You know, I always had a thing for you.” He said. Did he really mean this? Or was it just the alcohol talking?  
“Really?” Roy asked while Ed slid his arms around the older man’s waist.  
“Yeah, but I felt bad acting on it.” Ed replied. He placed a soft kiss on Roy’s neck that sent tingles straight through his spine. “I thought that you’d say no because I’m too young. But I’m not a kid anymore.”  
“I can see that.” Roy replied. He hesitated. Ed was drunk. He wasn’t even too sure if Ed meant what he was saying right now. Was it the right thing to do here? But would he ever get another chance? If Ed woke up and realized that he didn’t love him, at least they would get to spend one night together. It may not be the most moral choice, but Roy was standing there with the man who he’d loved for a while now. The man who he loved had his arms wrapped around his waist and clearly wanted to do more than just kiss. He might not ever get another chance like this, in all reality. “I thought the same thing.”  
“Really?”  
“When I saw you in that suit tonight, that’s when I knew.” Roy said, pulling Ed into a tight embrace. “That’s when I knew that it was time.” Ed kissed Roy again, and then helped Roy out of his shirt. Roy brought Ed over to the couch, trying not to let go of him for a single second. They kissed and pressed themselves even closer to each other, until suddenly Ed’s grip on Roy started to slacken.  
“Ed?” Roy asked.  
“Huh?” Ed replied sleepily. I can’t believe it. I can’t fucking believe it. He got too drunk and now he’s falling asleep. He broke away from Ed’s embrace to see Ed staring at him bleary-eyed, vulnerable.  
He wasn’t going to take advantage of Ed like this. Ed deserved more than just a drunken fuck. Sure he might not get the chance to do it with Ed again, but if he did get the chance it would be more meaningful. If what Ed was saying was true, then Roy didn’t have to worry too much anyways.  
“Stay where you are.” He said shortly. Roy left the room and returned with a blanket and pillows.  
“You can sleep here tonight.”  
“But I thought we were going to-“  
“Sorry, Ed.” He gave Ed the blanket and the pillow. “You’re drunk. You don’t know what you’re saying.”  
“I do!”  
“If you still do in the morning, then we can do whatever you like.” Roy said, and walked away quickly before Ed could convince him otherwise. I’m making the responsible choice. He told himself.

He saw Ed fast asleep on the couch when he got up in the middle of the night to grab a glass of water. He looked just as beautiful sleeping as he did awake. Roy stopped for a moment to admire how stunning Ed looked with his face so peaceful and relaxed. Blond hair fell across his face as Ed snored quietly. If he hadn’t know before, Roy knew now, this was the sight he wanted to see when he woke up every morning.


	2. Chapter 2

If he hadn’t know before, Roy knew now, this was the sight he wanted to see when he woke up every morning.  
Ed woke the next morning to find himself feeling sluggish and headachy in an unfamiliar place. He was lying on the couch in an apartment he was sure that he’d never seen before. He sat up and looked around, hoping to find some clues as to where he was or what he was doing there. The apartment itself was very plainly decorated. There weren’t any pieces of art or photographs up on any of the walls. The only thing worth noticing was the large amount of books there were. Multiple bookshelves were lined with old, serious-looking books. Ed pulled off the blanket he’d been given and went over to look at the bookshelves. The majority of books were about alchemy, but a few were about other subjects such as history or science. There wasn’t a single fiction book to be seen.  
“Oh, you’re up.” A voice said. Ed spun around to see that Roy Mustang was standing.  
“This is your place?” Ed asked.  
“Yes. Don’t you remember what happened last night?” Roy asked.  
“No…” Ed said slowly, trying to think. “Why, should I?” Mustang’s heart fell a little. So he didn’t remember last night. Would he still feel the same way he did back then?  
“I should think.” Roy replied, trying hard not let Ed see how his face fell. “Anyways, how about I make you some breakfast while you try to figure out what happened last night?”   
“Okay.” Ed nodded and put a hand to his pounding head. He followed Roy to the kitchen and watched as he began to fry some eggs. Ed took a seat at the small table in the kitchen. As Roy cooked, he resisted the urge to turn back and look at Ed again. Ed looked gorgeous with his disheveled morning hair and he clothes scruffy and creased. In fact, Ed looked gorgeous just about all the time, in his opinion.  
“Do you have any idea what happened?” Ed asked. “I mean, I ended up on your couch, so I obviously ran into you at some point last night.” Roy bit his lip. Should I tell him? If he told Ed what had nearly happened last night, what would Ed do? Would he be disgusted? Or would he have something good to say about it?  
If he said nothing, everything would continue as normal. If he told him the truth, there was a small chance that Ed would happen to feel the same way, but it was likely that he’d be rejected, and he didn’t want that. When it came to women, Roy knew exactly how to sweep them off their feet, what to say and what to do to make them fall in love with him, but Ed was different. Ed wasn’t one to fall for cheap tricks like that. Roy sighed.  
“Well, we were both at a cocktail party. I don’t remember what we were celebrating, but the both of us ended up getting pretty drunk. I took you back to my place because it was closer.” Roy said quickly.  
“Is that it?” Ed asked warily. “Are you sure I didn’t do anything?”  
“Why do you ask?”  
“Just want to make sure.”  
“No.” Roy replied after a moment or two. “Nothing else happened last night.” He brought over two plates of eggs, bacon and toast and placed one of them down in front of Ed. He took a seat opposite the table.  
“So I drank too much, then?” Ed said with a wry smiled.  
“Yeah. Maybe you should calm down a little next time.” Roy replied.  
“I’d never really drank that much before. I don’t know what came over me. I guess you were there and I just…” Ed quickly blushed and stopped talking. And you just what? Had to keep drinking so that I didn’t bore you? Or because you were having fun and didn’t want to stop? Why was Ed so damn hard to read?  
“Yeah…” Roy tried to reply casually. They ate in awkward silence, the only sound which could be heard was the ticking of the clock on the kitchen wall.   
The phone rang to break the silence. Roy instantly got up and went to answer it, slightly glad to have a reason to leave the table.  
“Colonel Mustang? A familiar voice said on the other end of the call.  
“Hey Al, you’re probably calling about Edward, aren’t you?” Roy asked.  
“He hasn’t been home all night. I’m a little worried, is he okay?”  
“He’s perfectly fine. He had a little too much to drink at a cocktail party last night. It’s nothing to worry about. I can drop him off at the hotel you’re staying at, if you want.” He suggested.   
“Yeah, that’ll be great!” Al replied.  
“Perfect. I’ll drop him off after we’ve finished breakfast.” Roy hung up and went back to breakfast.  
“That was Al. I’ll drop you off at your hotel room after you’re done eating, if that’s okay.” Ed nodded and carried on eating in silence.  
Once they had finished eating, Roy dropped the dishes into the sink and put some more presentable clothes on. Once he was ready, he led Ed to his car.   
“Thanks for taking care of me last night.” Ed said. “I could have ended up doing something I’d really regret if you weren’t there.” But what if I didn’t stop you? Would you still regret that? Roy thought.  
“Oh no. It’s no problem.” He replied.  
“You know, you really aren’t that bad of a guy.” Ed went on. “I mean, you’re not as cocky and annoying as people say you are.”  
“Thanks, I guess.” Roy kept his eyes locked on the road. If he looked over and Ed was smiling right now, he was fairly sure that his heart would melt. Soon they reached the hotel Ed and his brother were staying at. Al was waiting for Ed at the doors of the hotel.  
“Thanks again, for making me breakfast and all.” Ed replied as he got out of the car.  
“Really, it’s okay.” Roy said. “So I’ll see you on Monday then?”  
“Yeah, see you on Monday.” Ed waved and left. Roy waved back and drove away.  
Behind him, Ed turned bright red as Al whispered something into his ear.  
“Shut up Al! Nothing like that happened!”  
“Yeah, but you wish, Brother.”  
“Yeah…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, I'm sorry things in this are moving a little slowly right now, but I promise that they're gonna pick up soon...


	3. Chapter 3

It was a Monday morning, and Roy would have given anything to be anywhere else in the world other than his dreary office. And it didn’t help that there was such a grim and cloudy day, too. The weather outside only served make him feel more tired and sluggish than he already was. He couldn’t even use the excuse of taking a walk to get out of work for a few minutes, as it looked like it was about to pour down with rain at any moment.

So he continued signing papers, every now and then letting out a small sigh. He looked down at his watch. It was half past nine. Ed was supposed to have shown up thirty minutes ago. This would be the first time they would have met since the weekend, and to be honest, Roy was slightly nervous. Even if Ed hadn’t remembered the events, Roy still had the image of Ed undressing himself in his living room stuck in his mind. It had been all he had thought about over the past few days. Whenever he closed his eyes, he pictured Ed’s smooth, warm skin, his big golden eyes, and the stark contrast between warm skin and cool metal. He wanted more than anything to run his hands over Ed’s skin again, but this time he’d do it differently. He’d go slower, take more time. It wouldn’t be just a drunken rushed affair. He would savour every single moment that he got to spend with Ed’s body next to his.

Roy shook his head. He shouldn’t be thinking about things like that at work, he told himself. It would only make things worse. The last thing he needed was for Ed to walk into the office late and catch Roy daydreaming about him.

Another piece of paperwork done, and moved across from one pile of his desk to the other.

And another piece.

And another. Fill in the blanks, sign at the bottom and then slide it across the desk.

Fill in the blanks, sign at the bottom, and then slide it across the desk.

Fill, sign, slide.

Fill, sign, slide.

Ed really looked great in those leather pants, Roy thought as his mind began to wander again. They clung tightly to his muscular legs, making it clear that despite his height, Ed was not a kid any more. _Just ask him out to coffee._ He urged himself. _You’ll never know how he feels about you if you don’t make a move._ He could fight homunculi singlehandedly, but he couldn’t even ask a man out on a date. It was pathetic.

A knock on the door interrupted Roy’s reverie. His head snapped up and he quickly feigned interest in the endless pile of papers he was working through.

“Come in.” He said. The door opened, and in walked Edward Elric, wearing the exact pair of tight leather pants which Roy had been daydreaming about moments ago. It was unfair. Why did Ed have to be so attractive? He took a deep breath and looked down at his paperwork, praying that he wasn’t blushing.

“You’re late, Ed.” Roy tried to keep his voice as professional sounding as possible. _That night was probably a mistake._ He told himself. _Just forget about it._ He shuffled his papers and watched as Ed went over to the old couch Roy had put into his office and lay down across it.

“You’re in a bad mood today.” Ed commented airily, leaning back to look up at the ceiling. Was he being too cold? And what the hell was wrong with him? He’d never had a problem hiding his feelings from the younger alchemist before, so why the hell was he suddenly acting like a teenager around him. It wouldn’t do. Roy Mustang was not a pubescent boy who barely knew what the word love meant, he was a grown man and he could deal with his feelings in a mature and healthy way. However, in his mind, that meant repressing them with the hope that maybe, one day a miracle would happen and make the two fall in love.

“It’s raining.” Roy replied and let out a sigh, He got up and walked over to the window, looking out into the dull grey cityscape. Maybe he’d find it easier to talk to Ed if he wasn’t facing him. For a few moments, Roy said nothing, and the room was filled with the sound of rain hitting cold glass. “I hate the rain.”

“I bet you do.” Ed said. He stood up and walked over to Roy, who felt his heart rate increase slightly with every step closer Ed took. How the hell had this happened? One night, and he’d managed to ruin his composure. He just hoped that this wasn’t a permanent thing. Oh god, he _really_ felt like a teenager now. A stupid teenager who was too shy to ask his crush out. What the hell was stopping him, anyways? He’d been with plenty of women and quite a few men before. This wasn’t a new thing to him, so why was it messing him up so much? _You’re a coward Mustang._ He told himself. _You can’t even work up the courage to ask him out. It isn’t that hard, you know. Just tell him you want to go out for coffee, or that you want to buy him lunch. Come on, what other option do you have here? Just stare at him for every day of your life and daydream? Where the hell is that going to get you? Ask. Him. Out._

“Are you alright?” Ed asked. Roy looked to Ed and then back out the window before realizing that his was gripping the window pane so hard that his hand was shaking. Quickly, he let go and stood up straight.

“I’m fine, I’m fine. I was just thinking about something.” Roy said hastily, putting on a smile.

“Are you sure?” Ed asked again, his eyes widening with concern. Those big golden eyes could see right through people sometimes, and Roy sorely hoped that this was not one of those times. After a moment or two, Ed bit his lip “Something’s up, isn’t it?”

“Trust me, I’m fine.” Roy repeated firmly. Ed simply shook his head.

“Mustang, I’ve known you for years. Don’t you think that I’d be able to tell by now when you were lying?” Ed asked. He smiled softly and placed a warm hand on Roy’s shoulder. The light touch made Roy’s entire arm tingle, and he wondered. _Did Ed feel the same?_ “Look, Hawkeye gave me some files, another ex-state alchemist they’re looking for. You’re supposed to look them over with me, and then I guess after that we can come up with a plan or something. How about we look over them over a cup of coffee? I don’t know about you, but I could do with a warm drink right now.

“Sure.” Roy nodded. “But it’s raining outside, we’re going to get soaked.”

“I’m sure Hawkeye could lend us an umbrella.” Ed replied with a smile.

~ ~ ~

The rain came down torrentially, it created large ankle-deep puddles on pathways and sidewalks and roared as it fell, making it almost impossible to hold a conversation. The two grown men soon learned that sharing one small umbrella was not going to do much to stop them from getting wet. It was a good thing that there were so few people out and about in such terrible weather, Roy thought to himself, or else someone would see them getting absolutely drenched as a car drove through a puddle, splashing both alchemists from head to toe with muddy rainwater.

“I’m sorry you got so wet.” Ed apologized once they had finally reached the small coffee shop.

“No, it’s alright.” Roy replied. In all honesty, his clothes were dripping and he was very uncomfortable, but there was no way in hell that he was going to tell Ed that. “At least the papers didn’t get wet.” Along with the umbrella, Riza had wisely given the two a large waterproof envelope to put the files in.

“How about I get the coffee, and you find us a table?” Ed asked.

“Sounds good.”

“How do you want it?” Ed asked, already heading over to the counter.

“Black, no sugar please.” Roy said and hunted through his pocket before pulling out a handful of change and holding it out to Ed.

“What’s that for?”

“My coffee.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll pay.” Ed smiled. Roy nodded and went in search of a table. In the corner of the coffee shop, he found a small booth that looked like it would be private. He sat down and opened the folder, spreading the papers out carefully across the table. He tried to focus on the papers on the table before him, and not think about the fact that the two of them were drinking coffee together. Alone. And Ed hadn’t taken no for an answer when Roy had wanted to pay for his coffee. Did this mean something? Ed had really started to show concern for Roy and whatever he was going through, but was it because he liked him, or because he was just trying to be friendly. Roy closed his eyes and let out a deep breath. He didn’t understand a single thing.

“Black with no sugar, right?’ Ed said, putting a cup of coffee down next to Roy. Somehow Roy had been too distracted to notice Ed’s arrival. He needed to get it back together.

“Thanks.” Roy said and took a sip. It was hot and delicious, just what he needed to give him a little boost. The two then read over the papers in silence at first, Roy tried to ignore his heart racing and concentrated on the printed words in his hands instead.

“The Wooden Alchemist…” Roy mused. “He doesn’t look too dangerous.”

“It says here that he’s been using his alchemy skills to cheat people. That, and starting some small fights. They couldn’t have picked anything easier.” Ed said. “We could probably take him down in no time.”

“He looks like a simple case, but I still think we should be cautious. If they specially requested that the both of us work on this, then that means that the higher-ups are probably a little scared by him. We should be cautious.” Roy knew how Ed was, he’d run off and try to do things by himself, and that could get him hurt at times. He looked at Ed sternly. “We should plan this through. And please, don’t try to take care of him on your own. There are two of us assigned to him for a reason, Ed, and I don’t want you getting hurt.”

“Alright.” Ed nodded. “I’ll do my best. But I guess we might need some kind of a plan first.” Roy took another sip of his coffee and looked over the papers. The list of places their target had been frequenting was not very long. A few stores, some hotels, and a couple of bars. That wasn’t good. That limited their options to a few enclosed spaces, and ones that were probably going to be full of innocent bystanders at that.

“Hmm…” Roy thought. “He goes to his local bars the most. Maybe before we make a move, we should observe him. I don’t really think that we have enough information to go off here.” Ed nodded in agreement as he studied the few sheets of paper. It made sense to him. Once they knew a little more about this Wooden Alchemist, they could probably figure out a way to get to him that would limit casualties.

“I think that makes sense. We can just sit in a corner somewhere and keep an eye on him. That way we should be able to find out if he has any accomplices that might make things a problem.” Ed said. Roy nodded in agreement. Ed scanned down the short list of bars the alchemist had been a regular at. “So how are we going to do this? I mean, we don’t really know what time he’s going to show up at any of them. At this rate we’re probably going to have to spend the evening at each one until we see him.”

“I guess we’ll have to.” Roy chewed his lip. It wasn’t the most time-sensitive way, but it would work. And besides, doing things this way meant that Roy would get to spend a lot more time with Ed. Whether or not that was what Ed was intending with this plan, it was a bonus that Roy was looking forwards to. “So which one do you want to go to first? There’s the Red Stallion, the Blue Rose, the Black Unicorn or Schmidt’s Tavern. Which one do you think?”

“Hmm… How about the Red Stallion?” Ed asked.

“That sounds good. Tonight?”

“Tonight sounds good.” Ed replied with a wide smile. When their informal meeting ended, Roy walked away with a slight spring in his step. Despite the fact that it was still pouring with rain, he was in a much better mood than before. Tonight was going to be very interesting, he hoped.

~ ~ ~

Roy stood in front of the mirror in his bedroom, looking at himself. He was dressed in a loose shirt and a pair of dark jeans. It wasn’t exactly the most glamourous outfit in the world but it would do. He was feeling slightly nervous now, but he knew it was nothing that a drink couldn’t fix. He also knew the butterflies in his stomach probably had more to do with Ed than the mission. He took his ignition gloves and stuffed them into a pocket as a precaution. Closing his eyes, he took in a deep breath of air and exhaled loudly. _Now_ he was ready. Once he left his apartment, he locked up and drove over to Ed’s hotel to pick him up.


	4. Chapter 4

 Once he left his apartment, he locked up and drove over to Ed’s hotel to pick him up.

He took a deep breath and mustered up the courage to walk to the front desk. He smiled kindly at the receptionist sitting at the front desk. He shouldn’t be nervous, he told himself. It was just Ed. Just Ed. And all they were doing was going to do recon for a mission together. It was nothing too big or important, but still, his heart kept on racing.

“I’m looking for an Edward Elric.” Roy said, resting a hand on the desk. “He’s staying with his brother Alphonse. Can I have his room number please?”

“Sure,” The woman nodded and began searching though files. “He’s in room two-fifteen.”

“Thank you.” Roy said and nodded her goodbye. He headed up the stairs and straight to Ed’s door. He felt nervous, like he was about to meet a girl’s parents, or something. He shook his head and steeled himself. He’d been on missions where he risked his life, he’d killed homunculi. He could probably manage going with Ed on what wasn’t even a real date. Sucking up his courage, he knocked on the door.

“Ed.” Roy whispered as the door opened. Ed was dressed in a t-shirt with a low v-neck and his famous tight leather pants. He looked beautiful, exceptionally beautiful.

“Should we get going then?” Ed asked.

“Huh?” Roy wasn’t paying attention to what Ed said, he was concentrating on how great those legs looked in the tight leather that clung to his skin. Ed must know how sexy the leather can make him look, Roy thought. It was impossible for him to be oblivious to the way he looked.

“Should we get going?” Ed repeated, more slowly this time. Something really was up with Roy. For the past couple of days, Roy really hadn’t been acting right, and he was going to figure out what was going on. It was true that although Roy and Ed had become much closer over the years, they weren’t quite at the point where Ed was a person Roy could rely on to talk about his feelings to. Now that he thought about it, Roy didn’t have that many people to talk about his emotions to since Hughes had died. And despite the fact that Roy tended to put on an air of being unbreakable, he was just human. He needed someone to talk to about his emotions, his feelings and such, and Ed would try to be that person, if it would help Roy.

“Oh, of course.” Roy said, snapping back into reality. “Let’s go.” He waited for Ed to finish locking up before they walked back down. Ed looked and smelled fantastic. How the hell was he supposed to focus on their planned mission when all he could think of right now was how Ed’s ass looked in those pants. So the Flame Alchemist had a weakness now, and apparently it was the Fullmetal Alchemist’s backside. That would be useful information for the higher-ups to know.

~ ~ ~

The car ride to the bar was quiet and awkward. Neither of them knew exactly what to say. Sure, they’d been on missions together before, but they hadn’t been to one in a bar before. And this would be the first time Roy would have spent a good length of time with Ed after that drunken night. That night stayed ingrained in his mind, it was all Roy could think about. He still had no idea whether Ed actually liked him, or whether it was just the many glasses of whiskey they’d had talking. It bothered him a lot more than he thought it would. He needed to know the truth, and he needed to be more direct about it. He needed to plan out a way to find out exactly what Ed thought about him. Once he knew for sure, then he would know what to do next.

Roy parked the car in a narrow road a few streets away from the bar, just in case anyone saw and recognized the car for belonging to the alchemist.

“Are you ready?” He turned to ask Ed. Ed nodded and together they got out the car. “Remember, if anyone asks, we’re a couple of friends who are just going out for a drink after work.”

“We work in an investment firm, right?” Ed asked.

“Right.” Roy said with a smile, and opened the bar door for Ed. The bar was dim and fairly empty. It was a Monday night, so of course there wouldn’t be that many people there. But still, there were a few people, mostly middle-aged men, who were sitting at the bar. Roy looked around, and there was no sign of the Wooden Alchemist in sight.

“Come on.” Ed said, and the two of them went to find a table in a corner of the bar. From there, they found that they had a great view of the entrance. So they sat and waited patiently for their target to enter. They waited and waited. As the hour hand on the clock moved further and further around its face, Roy and Ed drew to the realization that their man probably wasn’t going to be coming.

Ed noticed that the bartender was giving them an odd look. Probably because they had been in the bar for about two hours and neither of them had ordered anything except for a glass of water each. He nudged Roy, getting him to look up at the bartender. If they were planning to stay here for a week and stake this place out, it wouldn’t help if they got thrown out on the first night. It was good that they noticed too, as the bartender had sent someone to go over to them.

“Can I help you?” Roy asked. The bartender had sent a young man to them, he was probably a year or two older than Ed, and looked like he would be a fair match in a fight with those muscles. _Intimidation_. Roy thought. _The bartender wants to scare us._

“The bartender says that if you aren’t going to drink anything, you can leave.” Roy looked to the clock. There was still a chance that the alchemist was going to arrive, they had to stay there. He didn’t want to get drunk around Ed again. It had almost ended with Ed making what could have been a huge mistake, and he didn’t want to put Ed through that. Alcohol and Ed just seemed to add up to trouble, but he didn’t really have a choice right now.

“Okay.” Roy said. “Can you get us a couple of bottles of beer, then?” He smiled politely. The man nodded.

“Fine.” He said. “I’ll get them for you.” The man walked away, only to appear a few moments later with two bottles of beer. He opened them both, placed on in front of Ed, and one in front of Roy. He left with a mumbled “Enjoy.”

“We need to be more careful about our cover.” Roy said as he took a sip out of his bottle. “That was close.”

“We could have got kicked out.” Ed nodded in agreement. He took a sip of beer and turned the bottle in his hands. He needed to find a way to talk to Roy in a way that didn’t sound creepy or weird. He didn’t want to scare Roy off, or else he wouldn’t be able to know what was going on with him.

“So, how are things?” Ed asked awkwardly.

“Things?”

“Yeah,” Ed extrapolated. “How are you doing lately? I mean, in all honesty, you haven’t been acting like yourself today.”

Roy stiffened. “What do you mean?”

“It just looks like something is bothering you.” Ed looked towards Roy, concerned. “I know that we aren’t particularly close, but I want you to know that if something’s wrong, you can come to me to talk about it.”

“It’s okay.” Roy replied. “There’s nothing wrong.” It was kind of Ed to take notice and care so much, but what the hell was he supposed to have said? He couldn’t tell Ed that the reason why he was acting so strangely around him was that he was in love with him, and since Ed had removed drunkenly his clothes in front of him, it was all he could think about.

“Look, I know that things have been hard for you, especially since Hughes died, but I want you to know that you aren’t alone in this. If you ever need someone to talk to, I’m there for you.”

“Thanks.” Roy said, looking down at his bottle. “Really, it means a lot to me that you’re willing to help, but there isn’t anything to worry about. Trust me.” Roy smiled at him, as if that could somehow convince Ed that there was nothing out of the ordinary going on in his mind. Ed’s golden eyes bored into him, scanning him, just to make sure that he wasn’t lying. Ed narrowed his eyes. Roy was still hiding something from him, and Ed was determined to find it out. It was for Roy’s own good, Ed told himself. Roy had been there for Ed when he’d really needed it, and they really had become closer over the years. To be honest, he didn’t really know where their relationship stood. At first, he’d thought of Roy as a bigger brother, or some kind of paternal figure. Over time however, they’d grown closer, up to the point that they were good friends. And no matter how much Ed told Al that it wasn’t true, he couldn’t deny the fact that somewhere along the lines, he’d developed a little bit of a crush for Roy. He didn’t know whether it was learning about Roy’s more sensitive side, or whether it was from seeing the alchemists impressive set of muscles while training. One thing was for sure though, it was more than a schoolboy crush. He wasn’t a fifteen-year-old anymore, he was pretty sure that what he felt was love, but now wasn’t the right time to act upon it. Not while Roy was in the distracted state he was in.

~ ~ ~

And so they quietly sipped their drinks, looking out at the bar. The minutes ticked by and there still wasn’t any sign of their man. Roy drummed his fingers on the table. He was getting bored here, and he was sure Ed was too. After a while, he really was debating having another drink. He knew that he shouldn’t, that it would only lead to trouble, but right now this operation was mind-numbingly boring and he’d take anything to make it more interesting.

“Hey there Goldilocks.” A drunken man who had made his way over to Ed slurred. _Not that._ Roy thought and instantly stood up a little straighter. He knew that Ed was fully capable of defending himself, but he couldn’t help being a little bit protective. He realized that this was probably the first time that Ed had been drinking in a bar. He knew that it was very unlikely that Ed was going to let someone take advantage of him, but he was still going to worry about him.

“Can I help you?” Ed asked, flashing a piercing glance at the drunken man. Normally, that would be enough to silence someone twice Ed’s size (which was a substantial amount now), but the drunken man was beyond the point where he understood simple body language.

“Sure,” The man leaned over, resting an arm on the back of a spare chair. “You can come back to my place tonight.”

“No thanks.” Ed said with a feigned polite smile.

“C’mon.” The man said, leaning in closer. “Why not?” Ed narrowed his eyes and shifted away slightly.

“Because I said no.” Ed said firmly. “Now will you please leave?” The man, it seemed, wasn’t having any of it. He placed an arm on the other side of Ed’s chair, effectively trapping him and leaned over closer still. Ed recoiled, the man’s breath smelled heavily of booze, and it was a little sickening. He firmly pushed the man away.

“I said no thank you.” Ed said, he was getting angry now. Roy watched in silence, ready to jump in at a moment’s notice if he needed to. The man, as it turned out, did not like being pushed away or rejected, and became angry. Alcohol and anger was not a good combination, as Roy knew from first-hand experience. The man, in his drunken rage, loomed towards Ed again. Without a thought, Roy pushed the man away again, this time with enough force to knock him to the floor and spill his beer.

“He said no.” Roy said, in the cold and serious voice that he saved only for his enemies. As the man scrambled to his feet again, Roy stood up too and stood in front of Ed. His protective instincts were taking over, he barely even registered Ed’s surprised and anxious facial expression behind him. The man got to his feet, this time walking over to Roy.

“What the hell was that for?” He was yelling now. The aggressive and drunk man was taller than Roy, and probably weighed a good deal more, but Roy doubted that the man had any form of training. He could take him down easily.

“You were bothering him.” Roy replied. “He told you multiple times that he wasn’t interested, and you wouldn’t leave. I think that it’s fair enough that I used force to get you to leave.”

“You spilled my beer!” The man took Roy by the collar of his shirt and lifted him up, pinning him to the nearby wall. “Look, you fucking ruined by brand-new shirt! Do you know how long these stains are gonna take to get out?” Ed slid quickly to Roy’s side, ready to aid him.

“We’ll pay to get it dry cleaned.” Ed said. “Leave him alone.”

“Oh, are you getting all protective of your _boyfriend_ now?” The man snarled. His grip around Roy’s collar tightened. Roy, meanwhile, was calculating the best method of attack. Yes, he wanted to get this guy off of him, but he didn’t want to be kicked out of the bar just because some idiot couldn’t keep it in his pants. His hands were free, his opponent’s hands were occupied holding him up to the wall. In one swift movement, Roy thrust the heel of his hand at the bottom of the man’s nose with all the force he could out behind it. The effect was instantaneous. The man let go of Roy and reeled backwards, his hands flying to his bleeding nose. He let out a cry of pain and embarrassment.

“That’s it!” He said, advancing towards Roy again, with blood trickling down his face. Filled with drunken pride, the man hadn’t noticed the small crowd of people that was beginning to gather around them. But Ed and Roy had. They did not need to get kicked out of the bar right now, it wouldn’t bode well for the investigation. And on top of that, if this went on any further, they would have to pay for damages, which never went down well with the higher-ups.

“Look,” Ed began, hoping that he could somehow calm down the man. “We don’t want to cause any trouble…”

“Your boyfriend fucked with me,” The man said. “So he deserves to get his ass kicked. And you know what, if you’re going to carry on defending him like that, Sugar, maybe I’ll take you down too.” Ed’s eye twitched. He disliked the “cutesy” nicknames almost as much as he’d disliked being called short as a kid. This man had started getting on his nerves when he had first opened his mouth. By now Ed was just plain old-fashioned pissed off at the guy. He readied himself to go and punch his opponent out, but Roy put an arm in front of him. They couldn’t cause a scene, but yet, Roy wanted to teach this guy a lesson so badly.

“Let’s take this outside.” Roy said. He smirked, sliding back into the façade of the overconfident Flame Alchemist with ease for once. “I wouldn’t want to get your blood all over the floor.” He looked down at the few dark drops of blood, coming from the man’s nosebleed, which had already stained the floor. “Again.” He added.

“Fine.” The man puffed up his chest in a futile attempt to look more macho. “I could take you out wherever.” Roy pushed past the man on his way to the front door.

“Stay here.” He whispered at Ed. They still needed someone to watch out for their fellow alchemist.

So while Ed stayed behind, Roy went ahead and prepared himself to fight. Once he was outside and the cool night air hit his face, he was starting to regret his choice. Sure, he would probably come out of the fight winning, but he’d definitely have a couple injuries afterwards. He’d made a bad choice.

The two went behind the bar and got ready to fight. The man was warming up, and Roy needed a plan. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Maybe if he could prep himself, he could get out with minimal injuries. And then the thought hit him. This was a man who had tried to get with Ed. He’s tried to do inappropriate things with Ed, and he probably would try to do things with others if Roy hadn’t stood in the way. Just the image of the man leaning over Ed made Roy angry. He would not stand and let Ed be treated like some cheap late night attempt at a one night stand. Ed was beautiful, intelligent and funny. He had so much going for him, he was worth more than just one night of sex.

In short, he was going to kick this man’s ass.

~ ~ ~

The fight was short-lived, and it wasn’t long before the two were done. Roy’s opponent was being held up off of the floor by his friends. He was bleeding, there were bruises all over his face and one of his eyes had been blacked. Roy had pulled through the fight a little better. He had a black eye too, a few bruises and a cut below one of his lips. However, he could still walk into the bar with a sense of pride, which couldn’t be said for the other man.

“You okay?” Ed asked when he saw Roy, his eyes flicking up to Roy’s blackened eye and other injuries.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” He replied. Ed shook his head.

“You should put something on that eye.”

“I’m fine, Ed.” Roy insisted.

“No you aren’t.” Ed replied. “You should take better care of yourself.” Roy rolled his eyes.

“I’ll be okay, Ed.  And besides, we should stay here. Our guy could show up at any minute now.”

“Roy.” Ed said sharply. Roy’s ears perked up. It was weird to him hearing Ed say his name, but it sounded pleasant in a way. “We can come back and look for the guy tomorrow. It’s pretty late anyways, he might not even come. I’m going to take you home and take care of you whether you like it or not!” Ed grabbed Roy’s arm and dragged him out of the bar.

“Fine.” Roy said quietly, wondering just how this night was going to end.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is so incredibly short!   
> I've been super busy and I haven't been feeling too well in a lot of ways this past few weeks. I promise the next chapter will be longer!

“Fine.” Roy said quietly, wondering just how this night was going to end.

Ed put an arm around him and supported him as they left the bar. Even though Roy was sure he didn’t need it, he let Ed help him anyways. As they walked to the street, Roy kept assuring Ed that it looked worse than it actually was, and that he could manage by himself.

“I’m going to take care of you whether you like it or not.” Ed said, rolling his eyes.

“Come on, let’s just get to my car then.” Roy said. He could taste blood in his mouth, but that was nothing to worry about, really. He’d come off with worse in a fight before.

“No.” Ed said, and he stuck his arm out to call for a cab. “I’m not letting you drive in that condition.”

“It’s not that bad!”

“I said that I’m going to take care of you and that means that I’m not letting you drive home like that! Just come back to the hotel with me and I can look after you there for tonight, okay?” Ed said. He knew that he was being a little overprotective, but he knew Roy, and he knew that once something pissed him off, it wouldn’t be settled with one little fight. Letting Roy go off on his own when he had just been full of adrenaline would only lead to Roy doing something stupid, and he didn’t want that.

After a bit more pleading, he finally managed to convince Roy to get into the cab with him and go to the hotel. The cab ride was short and Ed spent most of it checking again and again if Roy was okay, while Roy assured him that he was fine.

~ ~ ~

It wasn’t long before the cab ride was over, and Ed was helping Roy make his way to the hotel. In all honesty, now that the adrenaline was starting to wear off, Roy was starting to feel sore all over. His arms and legs hurt where he’d been kicked or punched, and he was slowly becoming a little more thankful for Ed’s support. Especially when it came to the stairs. Those fucking stairs.

At last, after too many flights of stairs for Roy’s liking, they reached Ed’s hotel room. He knocked on the door and it was promptly opened by Alphonse.

“Brother! Colonel Mustang!” Alphonse looked between Roy, who was at this point covered in a fair amount of blood, and Ed, who was supporting him. “What happened?”

“Just a bar fight, Alphonse.” Roy assured him. “Trust me, it looks worse than it actually is. I’ll be fine.”

“You two need to be more careful!” Alphonse chided. “You could have gotten seriously hurt! What were you thinking, getting into a bar fight?”

“It wasn’t my fault.” Roy mumbled while Ed led him to the bathroom, taking a first aid kit with him as he went. Ed sat him down in the bathroom and then worked to treat Roy’s injuries in near silence. Roy was surprised by how soft and gentle Ed’s hands were. He knew that he was good at delicate chemical procedures, but he hadn’t expected him to be so tender with his touch.

“Does it sting?” Ed asked while he dabbed antiseptic into Roy’s cuts.

“A little, it’s fine.” Roy said and closed his eyes. Ed was so close to him, and spending his time taking care of him. Roy felt his heart begin to race again, and he was so sure that Ed could hear it, it felt like it was hammering away in his ears. How could Ed act so causal? Roy would open his eyes, but he was sure that if they did, they would once again meet the piercing gaze of Ed’s golden ones.

He felt like a frustrated teenager again, not a successful adult. And it was really pissing him off. Somehow, Ed had managed to find a way to undo him. To sneak his way past all those brick walls Roy had put up around his heart and made him fall hopelessly, head over heels in love.

But this wasn’t the time to be poetic. _Thanks to my idiotic rage, we’d had to leave the bar early. Not only that, but we’d be more likely to have the bartender watching us the next time we go._ Roy thought. _If the bartender is somehow covering for the alchemist, we’re in some deep shit._

“You’re done.” Ed said with a smile as he finished treating the last of Roy’s new bruises.

“Thanks.”

“You didn’t need to do that, you know.” Ed said.

“Do what?”

“You didn’t need to take the guy out for me. I could have taken care of him myself.”

“I know.” Roy said with a weak smile. “I guess it’s just that I can’t help looking out for you.”


	6. Chapter 6

“I know.” Roy said with a weak smile. “I guess it’s just that I can’t help looking out for you.”

“I’m not a little fifteen year old any more, you know. You don’t need to look out for me.” Ed replied. “If anything I should be the one looking out for you.”

“Well you definitely aren’t little now.” Roy said with a small smile. He sighed and looked down.

“What’s wrong?” Ed asked.

“Nothing.”

“Don’t kid me, Roy. You’ve been acting weird for a few days now. Something’s clearly up. Talk to me.” Ed said, narrowing his eyes.

“Seriously Ed, I’m fine!”

“If you were fine you would know better than to take some guy out back for a fight when we have work to do!” Ed protested. “It’s just not you, Roy. It’s not the you I know. I know that something’s wrong, Roy, and I just want to be here to help. Please, let me help you.”

“Look, I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Why?”

“It just… It’s not right talking about this with you.”

“And why is that?”

“It just is.” Roy said defensively. He was having an argument with a hot blond while sitting on the toilet. Not high on the list of things he wanted for himself.

“And why the hell is that?” Ed repeated. He was getting more frustrated now. He just didn’t understand. He was worried about Roy, he cared about him, he wanted to help him, so why the hell wouldn’t he talk about it. “We’ve been through a lot of shit together, Roy. Are you honestly telling me that there’s something going on that’s so bad that you can’t even talk about it?”

“It’s awkward.”

“Oh really? And what makes it awkward?” Ed said. His hand tightened around the bathroom door. “I’m not letting you go until you tell me what’s wrong.”

“It’s just… ever since I saw you at the party when you were dressed up, I realised how much you’d grown up.” Roy said reluctantly.

“I don’t think this is just about me growing up.” Ed wasn’t going to be fooled easily. “Try again.”

“No, it’s just that you’d grown up into this amazing, intelligent, fantastic and… and you know, attractive man, if you catch my drift.” Roy said. This was uncomfortable. He could feel his face turn redder and redder as he continued speaking. It was weird, confessing his feelings to Ed in a hotel bathroom. It was far from the most romantic thing he had ever experienced.

“I don’t know if I do.” Ed cocked his head to the side. _Damn._ Roy thought, _he’s so adorable like that._

“I – when I saw you that night, I – I thought about it, and I realised that – well I realised about the way I was feeling about you.” Roy tried not to stutter over his words while blushing like crazy. He looked up at Ed, searching his golden eyes for some small sign to tell him that his feelings were reciprocated.

“The way you were feeling?”

“I like you, Ed.” Roy said slowly, enunciating every syllable carefully. “Not just in a normal way. I really, really like you.”

“Roy?” Ed asked, a slow smile spreading across his face. “Are you trying to say that you have a crush on me?”

“Maybe.” Roy said, looking down defeated. “Maybe a little bit. But I didn’t want to make things weird between us. I mean, it’s not like I was expecting you to go out on a date with me.”

“And why not?”

“What?”

“It’s not impossible.” Ed said.

“Do you really mean –“

“I can give it a try if you want.”

“You’re being serious?” Roy was in disbelief. Why the hell would Ed agree with this? He’d never anticipate Ed to be so _casual_ when it came to talking about this either. Ed talked about going on a date casually as if he didn’t know what that meant to Roy. _Well of course he doesn’t know._ Roy told himself. Ed didn’t know how deeply Roy felt for him. At most, Roy suspected that Ed thought it was a crush, or that he was just saying yes because he felt bad for him.

“What have I got to lose?” Ed asked. _Well,_ Roy thought, _I could embarrass myself completely in front of you and damage our relationship permanently._

Roy stayed quiet.

“How about you meet me here again at eight tomorrow?”

“What about the mission?”

“Screw the mission. You need a night off.”

~ ~ ~

When Roy awoke the next morning, he wasn’t sure if what he recalled from the previous day was real or some kind of a dream. He would have thought it was a dream until he looked in the mirror and saw the bruises from last night, reminding him that the events which passed had been very real indeed.

He took his time getting dressed today, knowing that he would show up to work a little later than usual. That wasn’t too bad, though. That he could deal with. What he didn’t want to deal with right now, however, was Ed.

Last night Ed had agreed to go out on a date with him, but Roy couldn’t for the life of him figure out why. Was it pity? Was it curiosity? Or did he actually have feelings for him? He didn’t want to have to think about the last one. It would only get his hopes up.

He ate breakfast slowly, watching the clock on the wall tick. He _should_ be excited. He should be thrilled at the idea of finally being able to go out on a date with the one person who he liked, but he wasn’t. Instead he was terrified. Usually he was calm and collected at dates, but what if he messed up? What if he embarrassed himself? Or what if after one date, Ed was just turn around and say that he wasn’t interested? What would happen then? Roy wasn’t sure that he’d be able to take the rejection.

When he finally managed to motivate himself to get to work, he found out that Ed was already there, sitting on the couch in his office. _Damn._ Roy thought. He walked over to his desk as casually as he could manage before turning around to face Ed.

“What are you doing here so early, Ed?” He asked.

“What are you doing here so late?”

“I’m only five minutes late.”

“You’re not usually late.” Ed implored.

“Traffic.” Roy lied. “But that’s not the point. Why are you coming in at nine in the morning sharp?”

“I just wanted to check that you were okay.” Ed said. Okay, now Roy felt a little bad. “I mean, you got hit pretty hard last night.”

“Honestly, I’m fine.” Roy replied. “Nothing to worry about.”

“Your black eye looks pretty bad though,” Ed studied Roy’s face. “You should probably put something on that.”

“Yeah.” Roy said. “Thanks.”

“So we’re still on for tonight?” Ed asked. Roy was momentarily taken aback by the question.

“Of course,” Roy said. “Eight, right.”

“Yeah, see you then.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry about how late and short this is. I got super busy with school and exams. But now that they're all done I'm hoping to get back into the habit of posting more regularly. Thanks for reading ^^

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so should I continue this or no? I feel like I could write more about what happens when Ed wakes up, but idk, what do you guys think?


End file.
